Buckle



Feb. 25,- 1930. c. J. DAHLCISREN BUCKLE Filed July so. 1928 I Patented Feb. 25,1930 1 CHARLES Jf DAHLGREN, oEv EAST ORANGE, NEW. JEEsEY nema;

Application filed .ml 'so, 1928. Serial No. 296,326.

This inventionrelates to buckles, and particularly, to the typegshownand described T which reference is made. Ihave foundthat' in my priorpatents for buckles, Nos. 1,666,- 528lancl1,666,529, dated April17th, 1928, to

while'the buckles which I have shown in my prior'p'atents are eflicient and operate perfectly on straps which aremade of comparatively thick cloth,-there is some likelihood of the U buckle slippingwhen applied to comparative- 1y thin and'fragile'cloths such as silks and the like. 1 I have also found that sharp points on the buckle tongues are apt to prick and injure the fingers of the user, and may penetrate or injure the cloth.

This invention contemplates the provision of-a-buckle wherein'straps, even though made of] thinymaterial,"may be securely held in the closed positionof the buckle against displacement, and wherein the buckle tongues I are highlyi effective to hold the strap or belt eventhough the points thereof are not sharp. The various objects of my invention will be clearfrom the description which follows, and

from the drawings, in which buckle. I

Fig. 2*is a vertical section'of the same,

i 1 so Fig.5 'is'a vertical section a modified "form of improved buckle wherein the stop ledge for the tongues is continuous with the slotted wall of the buckle and the downwardly turned bracing and "finishing mem ber shown in Figs. 1, 3'and 4, is employed;

' Fig. Gisa view of another modified form ofthebuckle sjhown Fig. 5, excepting that 1 the downwardly turned bracing member is omitted, and Fig. 7 is'jatop view of part of a buckle, showing how indentations may be used} instead of slots in the "wall.

' Fig. 8 is a combined top view and horizon-' ftalsection, taken 'onth'e line 8 -8. of-Fig. 3

' showing how the'strap'fis forced by. the

tongues-into the slots and thereby waved for firmly holding the strap in position.

' Fig. 1,- is atop planv ew of my improved 'Fig.v 3 is a vertical section of the same,

. one form in Fig. 7.

In the practical embodiment of my invention, I prefer to provide a frame 10, preferably formed of a single piece of sheet material in which a central opening 11 is made. The frame consists of the rear cross bar 12, the front cross bar 13 and may include the downwardly curved bracing and finishing member 14 continuous and integral with the cross bar 13. Said member 14 is preferably of the full width of the bar 13 at its upper edge, though it may taper to less width at its lowerextremity 22. The upper face of the entire frame 10 preferably lies in a horizon tal plane t'hough'there may be a slight variation in the heights of the parts due to the slight distortion of the material when the sides of the frame are bent. The sides 15 are bent I downwardly at substantially right angles'to the plane of the upper face of the frame and are perforated as at 16 for the reception of the projecting lugs 17 of the swinging tongue frame '18. 7

'Continuouswith the inner edge 19 of the front bar 13 of the frame and bent downwardly therefrom is the substantially vertical wall 20, in which a series of indentations or spaced slots as 21 are made. Said indentations or slots terminate just below the inner edge- 19so'that the slots are substantially invisible in the operative position of the buckle, and will be referred to hereinafter as slots. It; will be understood that the indentations or slots 21 in theve'rti'cal wall 20 may be entirely dispensed with, if desired, dependence being bad in that case on thecooperationof the tongues 27 with the inner face of the wall 20 for securing the strap in place. It will further beeunderstood that in place of the slots 21 illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 8 as passing completely through the wall 20,.a series of grooves or indentations of various shapes adapted to receive the points 28 of the tongues 27 maybe provided as may be found convenient or desirable and as indicated in i The entire buckle frame 10 being formed from a single piece of sheet material in which a central'opening 11 is made, as has been hereinbeforepointedout, the wall 20 may read- 11y beformedi integral. with thefront cross tangular opening 24 therein, dividing bar .13 by-utilizing the front portion of the -material arranged in the opening 11 and bending said material relativelyto the fronte'nd 13 as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

In the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the lowermost portion 22 of the frame and to finish said end,-and that in the modification now being described, said member alsoserves as the site for the ton ue frame. Said frame has a substantially recthe frame into the rear cross bar 25 and the front tongue bar 26. On the tonguebar, I prefer to form series. of forwardly projecting tongues as 27, terminating in chilled or rounded points 28 whichare arranged in alignment with the respective slots 21 and do not penetrate the cloth nor otherwise injure it, and which results in a safety buckle wherein pricking of the fingers in handling is avoided. Said tongue frame 18 is also formed preferably of a single piece of sheet material, the lugs 17 thereof being preferably arranged inj'alignment with the cross bar 25. i

It will be understood that one'end 312 of the belt'or strap 29 is passed under the rear bar 12 of the frame and over and about the cross bar '25uof the tongue frame, being secured in place by suitable means such asthe' stitching 30. The other end 31 of the belt or strap is passed upwardly through the frame, past the edge-22 of the member 1 into engagement with the tongues 27. As the tongueframe 18 is now pressed downwardly, it pivots about.

thelugs 17 without; disturbing the secured end 32 of the belt. 'At this time, the points 28 of the tongues 27 just clear the inner edge 19,0f the front frame end13, forcing the ma terial or. the belt past said edge and into the slots 21 (Fig. 7). Further movement of the tongue frame 18 forces the material'into the slots 21 fora greater distance, due to the fact,

that the center of rotation of the tongue frame is below the edge 19. 'The movement of-the tongue frame may be thus continued until brought to a stop against thestop portion 22 of the member 14-. In thisfposition, the material has been wavedtransversely un-. der tension, since it is forced by the points 28 into the center of the slot and emerges from the slot to contact the outside edges thereof. The material is further folded or creased intov a reversed fold as indicated in Fig. 3, whereby the belt end 31 is firmly. held in place against displacement no matter how thin or fragile-the material maybe. It; will be understood that thetension put on the'strap' at the place where his held by the tongues and tends tocompress the tongue frame to a sufficient extent to resist raising of said frame and consequent slipping of the buckle.

' Referring now to Fig. 5, I have there shown a modification wherein the wall 20 is con tinued past the member 14 and terminates in a substantially horizontal stop portion 33 againstwhich the, tongues 27 may come to In this modification, the member 14: r

rest. terminates at an edge asSftadjacent to or in contact'with the front'face of the wall 20.

If desired, the member 14 may be entirely,

omitted, as shown in Fig. 6 though the operation of my improved buckle is precisely the same as that hereinbe'fore described.

It will be seen that Ihave provided a simple and efiicient buckle, well designed to meet the severe requirements of practical use i and adapted to receive and to hold comp.arativelyv thin material, while designed to preventinjury tothe material and to the fingers. It will further be seen that, bythe provision of the indentations or slots in a-depending wall of said buckle and byproportioning the tongues 27 so that said tongues .may partly.

enter the indentations or slots-and force ma terial thereinto to a reater'or lesser extent,it;

becomes possible to firmly grip a strip of ma= terial no matter how thinand to hold it against undesired displacement in thebuckle.

While I 'haveshown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, I donot wish tobe understood as limitingmyself to the precise construction shown and de scribed but intend to claim my inventionas broadlyas may bepermitted by the state. of the terms of the appended the prior art and claims.

I claim 1 stantially in the plane of theremainderlof theupper "surface of the frame, a tongue frame pivoted to j the frame at'thev sides thereof, a substantially upright wall depending from and integral with the inner edge of said'front bar, tongueson" said tongue frame lying entirely within the buckle frame for cooperating with said wall'to clampthe material of a strap therebetween in the operative I positi on of the buckle and means integral with the frontv bar and extending downwardly therefrom for limiting the lowermost position of the tongue frame.

bar, said front bar having substantially I upright wall depending from the inner edge thereof,and said wall having spaced slots therein, a tongue frame; swingable in said'de- 1. In a buckle, a buckle frame including a front bar, the upper face of which lies subpending. sides, and tongues projecting from thetongueframe andspaced apart to correspend with said slots for clearing the inner. edge of the front frame bar on the swinging a I the strap'lheld by said, buckle transversely,

of said tongues and forcing the material of r a strap into said slots. T 3. In a buckle, a frame having afront bar I element, a Wall element arranged at sub- *staritially right angles toisaid bar element, and of substantially the same height as said frame andcontinuous with'the inner edge of said barfelement, a tongue-carrying member pivotally mounted lnsaid frame, tongues pro-v jecting from said member and adapted to just I 1 clear saidjinner ledge, and a stop ledge integral with one of said elements and projecting inwardly past the lower edge of said wall element for limiting the lowermost position 4r. Inabuckle, a frame having side bars, a

front bar connecting the side bars, a wall having spaced slots therein arranged at substantially right angles to said-front bar, and

j of the respective slots. 7

" a strap into the slots of the wall, said slots continuous with the inner edge of said front bar, a tongue-carrymg 'member pivotally mounted n said side bars, and tongues proj ecting from said member and adapted to just clear said inner edge, the centers of said tongues being aligned with the center lines 5. In a buckle, a frame having a front bar, a slotted wall depending from the inner edge of saidfront bar, a swingable tongue-carry I ing, member mounted in said frame, tongues on said member adapted to force material of V terminating below the upper face of the frame and being invisible from the top.

6. In a buckle, a frame'having a front end I thereon substantially triangular in cross section, said frontend including afiat front bar,

a an unmutilated straight line inner edge on said front bar, and including a member having spaced slots therein terminating below saidbar, and means on the framefor gripping astrap by forcing said strap intothe slots, 7 waving the strap transversely and forming I transversefolds in the strap.

- .lated front bar, a wall depending from the 7. In a buckle, a buckle frame of a single rplece of sheet material including an unmutiinner edge'of said bar and having spaced slots tl1ere1n,sa1d slots terminating below said bar and being invisible from the top of theflframe,a tongue frame of. a single 1 piece of sheet material pivotedto the'buckle frame, dull-pointed tongues projecting forv "wardly of the tongueframe and arranged in alignment: with the slots, and a stop ledge tongues cooperating with theupright edges barffor'jfolding and wavingthe'material of and being of 'such length asto just clear the 1 jsaid inneryedge on the swinging of the tongue frame. "i I front end of substantially triangular crosssection, a member pivoted to the frame,

tongues on said member, said front end including afiat front bar, and including a wall integral with and depending from said bar and adapted to cooperate with the tongues, for clamping material therebetween, said wall lying in a plane at substantially right angles to that of the upper face of the frame.

9. In a buckle, a buckle frame having perforated depending sides, a front bar on the frame connecting said sides, a substantially uprightwall depending fromsaid bar and integral therewith, a tongue-carrying member, lugs on said member passed through the perforations of said sides for swingably supporting the member, and tongues on said member forforcing material of a strap to- Ward'said wall.

10. In a buckle, a frame of a single piece of sheet material including a rear cross bar,

a front bar lying substantially in the same plane as said rear cross bar, perforated depending sides joining said rear cross bar and said front bar, said frame having an inner pendingsides joining said rear cross bar and the front bar, a wall integral with and of less length than said front bar and depending tongues and said wall is compressed therebetween, and the tongues penetrate partway 1nt0 said materlal.

. CHARLES J, DAHLGREN.

for the tongues integral with the bar and projectingipast the lower edge ofcsaid wall, said.

v of'the slots an'dwith the inner'edge of said a jbuckle, a buckle frame, having a 

